Rope making machine



March 7, 1939. I P J ROCHE I I 2,149,312

ROPE MAKING MACHINE Filed May 12, 1937 4 Sheets-Shee t 1 INVENTOR:

6/; ATTORNEY.

March 7, 1939. P. .1. ROCHE ROPE MAKING MACHINE Filed May 12, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

m 6. 0 R J.. M m F /2/; ATTORNEY.

March 7, 1939. P, J ROCHE 2,149,312

ROPE MAKING MACHINE Filed Ma 12, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY March 7, 1939.

P, J. ROCHEI- 2,149,312

ROPE MAKING MACHINE Filed May 12, 1957 4 Shets-Sheet 4 b.- I u n INVENTOWQ Pfl/L/PJ F /f BY haw/1M2! h 'ATTORNEY.

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Patented Mar. 7, 1939 PATENT OFFICE ROPE MAKING MACHINE Philip J. Roche,

Weehawken, N. J.

Application May 12, 1937, Serial No. 142,102

6 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for manufacturingrope, and has for its main object to provide a device of this character which is operating on novel principles, and through novel combination of elements by which it will produce rope in a more efficient manner than the devices now in use for such purposes.

Partly the objects of this invention are to pro vide a rope making machine which may be run at greater speeds than the machines now in use, and thereby will produce a larger quantity of rope in a given time, than machines of similar size now are adapted to do.

Another object of this invention is to provide a l device as characterized hereinbefore which will produce rope from the yarn, to the ready rope of a great variety of size and character in one operation.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent as the specification of the same proceeds, and

. among others I may mention: to provide a rope making machine of the type herein indicated which will have a highly flexible and efficient system of adjusting to produce a great variety of rope by simple changes therein, which will be simple, comparatively inexpensive, easy to manufacture, assemble, and operate, and which, while than the machines now in use, still will not subject its parts to any great stress, strain and wear.

In the drawings forming a part of this application, and accompanying the same:

Fig. 1 is a semi-diagrammatical elevation of the machine, portions of the same having been removed;

Fig, 2 is a plan view of my machine, shown in a diagrammatical manner;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of one'of the so called flyers used in my device.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged partly sectional detail, showing the mechanism for operating'the flyers and their associated parts;

Fig. 5 is another sectional detail on an enlarged scale" showing the source of power for my device and the transmission of the power to the different parts thereof Fig. 6 is a partly sectional elevation showing the drum for the ready rope, and the mechanism to coil the rope thereon;

Fig. 7 is a partly sectional detail showing the means employed to rotate the rope drum;

Fig, 8' is another sectional fragmentary detail showing another portion of the drive for the rope d m;

, Fig. ,9 is a fragmentary partly sectional plan view showing portions of the mechanism to unite the strands of the rope into the finished rope.

Referring now to the drawings more closely by characters of reference, the numeral 20 indicates a frame structure for my machine which may be of any suitable design and character, built up of structural elements, like rods, angle irons, Ts, Is, without any covering or sheathing or with cover in some portion thereof, where it is desired, but giving, in any case, free access to the flyers and other parts of the machine, as will appear hereinafter.

In the center of the base 2!, of the frame structure, is arranged an appropriate step bearing 22 supporting the lower end of a vertical shaft 23 for the lowermost flyer or rotating disk 24, of my device. Said flyer is shown in an enlarged fragmentary plan view in Fig. 3 and it will be observed that it is in the form of a disk of any appropriate material, preferably cast aluminum to provide for strength, and to make it light in weight, said disk having a plurality of suitably arranged recesses or pockets 25 into which may be placed the spools of yarn 26. Shaft 23 is continued through the center of the flyer 24 and the upper portion thereof is formed into, or is integral with a frame structure 21 (Figs. 1 and 4), which frame structure again is terminated at its upper end by an integral tubular member 28. A horizontal shaft 29 provides for the rotating of the flyer 24, as through the bevel gears 30, said shaft 29 being preferably journaled on the base of my machine, as at 3 I, and in the side structure thereof, as at 32, receiving its motive power from an appropriate source to be described presently. Bevel gear 30a may be secured on the flyer 24 and also on the shaft 23 thereby rotating both of them, and the shaft 23 may also separately be secured to the flyer 24, by any appropriate means, not shown, and finally the lower member 33 of the frame 2! may also be set into the material of the flyer 24, so that the flyer, the shaft and the frame 21 will rotate together.

'An appropriate horizontal structural element 34 may be arranged at a suitable distance over the lowermost flyer 24, and a bearing 35 may be arranged therein for the tube 28, and a rotatable frame 36 composedof the horizontal member 36a, left hand and right hand vertical side members 31 and 38, and left hand and right hand inclined top members 39 and 40, respectively, may be arranged over said horizontal reinforcing member 34, having therein secured the upper portion 35a. of the bearing 35 by which it may rotate around the tube 28, said upper part 35a and the lower part 351) of said bearing being formed into a ball bearing in relation to one another, as best shown in Fig. 4, said lower part 3511 carrying the weight of the frame structure 36 through said ball bearing device, as will be obvious.

The frame structure 36 carries at its upper end a rope forming die or tube 4| rotatable therewith, and journaled in an upper frame member 42 in any appropriate manner, not shown.

A second fiyer 43 is arranged within the rotating frame 36 at a suitable distance above the lowermost fiyer 24 and being rotatable with its shaft 44 on a ball bearing 45 carried by a cross member 45 of the frame 36. The lower reduced end 54a of the shaft 44' is carried through a cross member 45 (Fig. 4) and has a gear 41 secured thereon, meshing with the gear' 48 at the upper end of a first vertical transmission shaft 49,'the

lower end of which carries a further, gear 50, meshing with a gear 5I secured to the upper end of the tube 28, and itwill be seen that through these gears and shaft, the rotation of the tube 28 will be transmitted to, the second flyer 43.

Shaft 44' of the upper fiyer 43 is again continued in a frame 52 similar to the lower frame 21, andterminating in a rotating tube 53.

'In the embodiment of my device shown in the figures and particularly indicated in Fig. 1, I apply a third uppermost fiyer 54 which is again of the same size and construction as the lower flyers 24 and 43, and which again has a central shaft 55 rotated through the second intermediate vertical shaft 56 and the respective meshing gear couples 51 and 53 as has been described in connection in the middle fiyer 43, and said upper flyer 54 also carries a frame 59 similar to the lower frames 21 and 52, and again ending in a tube 60, rotatable therewith and journaled in an upper cross member 6|. Intermediate cross members 62 and 53 may be arranged for the support and for the power transmission devices for the uppermost flyer 54gand various other reinforcingmembers generally indicated by the numeral 64 may be employed in my device.

It will be seen that through the mechanism just described, the rotation of the lowermost flyer 24 will be transmitted through the intermediate fiyer 43 and the upper flyer 54', and through the respective frames 52 and '59, and tubes 28, 53 and 60.

The frame structure 35 has a bevel gear 65 secured at the center of its lower member 360. meshing with a bevel gear 66 on a shaft 61, which again will get its rotation from an appropriate source of power in a desired manner, as will be described hereinaftenand through which the said frame 36 may be set into rotation.

' The source of power in this embodiment is indicated as being provided by an electric motor 58 arranged in an additional portion 69 of the frame of my device built of appropriate structural elements as indicated in Figs. 1 and. 2, and as will be obvious. '....The.rotation of the electric motor 68'will be transmitted to-a shaft 15, through a. sprocket and chain drive 1|, which shaft 10 may be a continuation of the shaft 51, and so directly rotate the framestructure 36. A sprocket and chain drive 12 may transmit the rotation of the shaft 1ll to the lower shaft 29, through the gear couple 13, as will be obviousyand thereby provide for the rotation of the lowermost flyer 24 and also for the identical rotation of; the upper 'fiyers 43 and 54, and their associated frames andtubes, and it will be seen that the-rotation of said flyers will be in the opposite direction to that of the frame 36.

To form a rope, a desired number of pockets 25 in each of the flyers 24, 43 and 54 will be filled with a desired size and style of spools of yarn 26, and the yarns 14 of the lowermost fiyer 24 will be guided to its center, as through the eyelets 15, and then again upwardly guided and arranged through a perforated disk 15 in the frame 21 and rotating therewith, and so gathered in the tube 28, in which tube said yarns will be twisted into a strand 11, said strand being led around the pulley 18, secured on the lowermost member 36a of the frame 35 and rotatable therewith. The rope strand 11 is further guided around a pulley 19 and turned into an upward branch 85, which again is guided around a pulley SI and turned into an inclined inward branch 82 for the purpose to be described presently.

In a similar manner, the yarns 83 in the intermediate flyer 43will be guided through the eyelets 84', a perforated disk 85, and then twisted intoa second strand 86, in the tube 53, said second strand 85 being led around the pulleys 81,

8B and 83, and terminating in an inwardly in- I clined branch 90.

Finally, the yarns 9! of the uppermost flyer 54 are also guided to the center and through a perforated disk 92 into the tube 55 where they are twisted into a third strand 93 guided around the pulley 94, into its upper branch 95.

Now, the three upper branches 82, 9E! and 35 of the three strands so formed are led around the pulleys or drums 95 and 91 in the manner best indicated in Fig. 9 and finally they are gath- 1;

ered in the tube 4! rotating with the frame 36 wherein the three strands aretwisted and formed into the final rope 98. The final product, the rope 38, is led around a stationary pulley 99 into an inclined branch I00 on which is exerted the pull necessary for forcing the elements of the rope hereinbefore described through the various devices.

The pull or force exerted: on the ready rope I30 will be transmitted to the'same from the original source of power, the motor 68, in the following manner: shaft .15 may transmit, through the sprocket and chain drive IBI, its rotation to appropriate elements in a speed change or transmission box I52, said box being of anyappropriate design, well known in the art, and from which the rotation is transmitted, through a sprocket and chain drive I03, at the desired rate, to a shaft I34 and, through the bevel gear drive I55 and chain and sprocket drive I03, to a'first numeral III. The force or pull on the rope I is exerted by the pulleys H01 andaIfiS and the branches Illfla and Illilb have no tension or stress in them; they are being played out freely.

The ready rope limb is coiled on a drum generally indicated by the numeral I II and rotatable on a shaft "I l2. Said drum may have a sleeve hub H3 by which it may loosely and rotatably engagethe shaft H2 and may have the inner and outer limit disks or flanges I I4 and I I5 (Figs. 1, 5, Gand'l). On the inwardly turned side'of the inner disk H4 in the center thereof at the two sides of the shaft I I2', two keys or projections H6 and H611 are provided which may engage a similarly shaped slot or groove II! in a driving hub H8 rotatable on said shaft H2 and adapted to be rotated through the sprocket and chain drive II9. Said sprocket and chain drive may derive its motion from the transmission or gear change box I02 through a sprocket and chain drive I20 which may rotate a member I2I on a shaft I22, said member I2I carrying the male member I23 of a friction cone drive or clutch, the female member I24 of which is connected or integral with the lower sprocket of the sprocket and chain drive II9, the pressure between the male and female members I23 and I24 being adjustable through any appropriate means, as by the coiled spring I25.

It will be seen that the rope drum II4 will be rotated through the intermediacy of said friction cone clutch. The ready rope I b may first pass through a guide member I26 slidable on a shaft I21, as shown, and having the downwardly projecting arms I28 carrying the final guide I29 for said rope, and as said rope is being wound or coiled on the drum III, it will cause said guide member I26 to slide back and forth on the shaft I21 as indicated by the double arrow I30 and as the coil of rope I3I on the drum III becomes larger and larger in diameter, the final guide or play out member I29 may swing around the shaft I21 as indicated by the arrow I32.

As said coil I3I becomes larger and larger in diameter the chain drive II9 for the drum would cause the final rope I00b to be coiled on the drum with increasing speeds and thereby may cause a breakage in the mechanism on account of the great resistance of the driving drums or pulleys I01 and I09 against said increase in speed, and for this reason I inserted the friction cone drive I23 and I24, hereinbefore described, which will yield and slip when the pull on the rope exceeds a certain predetermined limit to which said friction drive may be adjusted.

When the rope. drum III is filled, its securing means I33 may be released and the filled drum pulled off the shaft H2 in the direction of arrow I34, either the frame structure of the device being arranged in an open manner, or an opening I35 being provided therein which may be closed by a door I36. Upon the removal of a filled drum I II another similar empty one may be pushed in place on the shaft II2, its keys II6 engaging the slot I I1, and thereupon the same may be secured through the removable means I33, as will be obvious.

It will be seen that I provide a rope making machine which is extremely simple in construction, in which the flyers may be at high sp ed since their material is comparatively nentra ecl a ou d a common axis and. its d sta e from said axis need not be increased upon the in..- crease in production and flexibility of the ma chine to such an extent as to produce dangerous centrifugal force as is the case wi h r pe making machines. now in u e.

Similarly, the rotating frame forming the strands in my machine may e made of omparatively light construction, and may be run at com! paratively high speeds, and at the same time, the flyers and the ra e m y e run with any desired proportions and relations in their respec, tive speeds so that any desired relations in the twists in the yarns of the strands, and of the strands in the rope may be given by comparatively simple adjustments in my machine. The flyers and the frame may be rotated in opposite directions as has been shown and described in this embodiment, but I may also rotate them in the same direction, with different speeds, or the flyers may even be made stationary and the frame only rotated. Any desired number of pockets in a fiyer may be used and the respective, strand forming and rope forming, tubes exchanged so that an almost infinite variety in the sizes and characters of the ropes may be produced by very simple adjustments in my machine.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a rope making machine, a plurality of first members having a common axis, in each first member, a strand forming tube, a plurality of spools of yarn, a first tube for each first member in said axis, all the yarns in a first member being adapted to pass through the respective tube and be twisted into respective rope strands therein; a second member independent of said first members through which all said strands travel in such a manner as to be adapted to be rotated around the respective tubes; a rope laying tube in said second member in said axis, all said strands passing through said second tube and being adapted to be twisted into a final rope product therein, a relatively stationary guide for said final rope, means to exert a tension on said final rope, and means to independently rotate said second member and said first members.

2. In a rope making machine as set forth in claim 1, said first members being in the form of independent disks.

3. In a rope making machine, a plurality of first members having a common axis, each carrying a plurality of spools of yarn, a first tube for each first member in said axis, all the yarns in a first member being adapted to pass through the respective tube and be twisted into respective rope strands therein; a second member through which all said strands travel in such a manner as to be adapted to be rotated around the respective tubes; a second tube in said second member in said axis, all said strands passing through said second tube and being adapted to be twisted into a final rope, a relatively stationary guide for said final rope and means to provide relative rotary motion between said second member and said first members, and said second member and said stationary guide, respectively, said first members being in the form of rotating .disks, a yarn frame secured on each disk and rotating therewith, said first tubes being carried by said yarn frames, and a perforated disk in each yarn frame adapted to guide said yarns into the respective tube.

4. In a rope making machine, a plurality of first members having a common axis, each carrying a plurality of spools of yarn, a first tube for each first member in said axis, all the yarns in a first member being adapted to pass through the respective tube and be twisted into respective rope strands therein; a second member through which all said strands travel in such a manner as to be adapted to be rotated around the respective tubes; a second tube in said second member in said axis, all said strands passing through said second tube, and being adapted to be twisted into a final rope product therein, a relatively stationary guide for said final rope, and means to provide relative rotary motion between said second member and said first members, and said second member and said stationary guide, respectively, said first members being in the form of disks superposed one 'above'the other; a'yarn frame carriedby each disk and rotatable therewith, said'first tubesbeing secured on said yarn frames, theupp'erends of the tubes on the lower disks carrying gears, and transmission devices operated by said gears and adapted to transmit the rotary motion of' a" lower disk to the one thereabove.

' 5. In a rope making machine, a plurality of first members having a common axis, each carrying a plurality of spools of yarn, a first tube for each first member in said axis, all the yarns in a first member being adapted to pass through the respective tube and be twisted into respective rope strands therein; a second 'member through which all said strands travel in such a manner as to be adapted to be rotated around the respective tubes; a second tube in said second member in said axis, all said strands passing through said second tube, andbeing adapted to be twisted into a final-rope product therein, a relatively stationary guide for said final rope, and means 'to provide relative rotary'motion between said second memberand said first members, and said second member and said stationary guide, respectively, said first members being in the form of rotating disks, and said second member being in the form of a frame, all said members rotating around said common axis; said means to impart relative rotary motion to said-disks and to said frame, comprising a source of power, a first shaft rotated by said source of power, means' between said shaft and "said frame to rotate the same; a secondr'shaft; -means between "said 'se'cond and-first shafts to-rotate said second shaft in aidirection-opposite to that of said first'shaft, said second shaft being adapted torotate'one of said disks, and'means between saidsd-iskswherebythe rotation of one is transmitted to the next one, in a chain.

' 6. In a rope making machine, a plurality of first-membershaving acommon axis, each carrying a plurality of spools of yarn, a first tube for each'first member in said axis, all the yarns in afi'rst-memberbeing adapted to pass through the respective tub'e'and'betwisted into respective rope strands therein; a second member through which allsaiidstra'nds travel in such a manner as to be adapted to" be rotated around the respective tubes; a second tube in said second member in said axis, all said strands passing through said second tube, and being adapted to'be' twisted into a final rope producttherein, a relatively stationary guide for said final rope, and means to provide relative rotary motion between said second member and said first'members, and said second member and said stationary guide, respectively, a multiple yarn guide carried by each first member through which the respective individual yarns pass in predetermined arrangement independently of one another, preliminary to their reaching the respective strand forming tube.

PHILIP J ROCHE. 

